Mr. McTaggart rocked back on his heels, abandoning the trunk he was searching to pull a watch from his pocket. “It appears you won the wager, lass. Lady Thorne is likely wondering why you’ve not made an appearance in the drawing room this afternoon.”
Edith released a sigh, partly from relief that she wouldn’t be subjected to more questions, even if the ones Mr. McTaggart had sneaked in during their hunt had been harmless. He’d asked about her favorite places in London, if she knew how to skate, and how long she had been caring for Miss Gracie before Lord Thorne found them in Chelsea.
The girl had been living with Edith and Lavinia only a few months before the baron arrived at their door and arranged a reunion between Lavinia, Gracie, and their long lost sister, Helena. After her first husband’s death, Helena had traveled to London to find her sisters and enlisted Lord Thorne’s help.
Edith’s attachment to Miss Gracie had formed quickly. She was exactly the type of girl Edith would want for a daughter, and since Edith was very unlikely to become a mother, she cherished her time with the girl.
“What tea do you prefer?” Mr. McTaggart asked.
She shook her head and chuckled softly. “I do not care for tea, but I manage to choke it down to be polite.”
Why he cared to ask such insignificant things about her, she couldn’t understand. Only once had a man shown interest in her, and he’d turned out to be a black-hearted scoundrel. Experience suggested she should be wary of any man’s attention, but common sense told her not all men were like Jimmy Gibb.
Lord Thorne was a good man, and Lavinia’s benefactor was the most generous man Edith had ever met. When Lord St. Ambrose took Lavinia from the brothel and offered his protection, he agreed to support Edith as well since doing so would make Lavinia happy. And the way Mr. McTaggart treated Lady Thorne, Gracie, and his kinswomen suggested he was of the same ilk as these two honorable gentlemen. His actions were foolish and reckless, but his heart seemed pure.
Mr. McTaggart stood and extended his hand in an offer to help her up. “I will see you to the drawing room then continue the search.”
She ignored his offer and returned to rummaging through the trunk in front of her. “I will stay until they are found, thank you very much.”
He answered with a grunt, only this time he didn’t sound annoyed. “Suit yerself.”
When she reached the bottom of the trunk and found nothing but old clothes, Mr. McTaggart returned it to its place and retrieved another from a different stack. He knelt beside her as she lifted the lid.
“This one looks familiar,” he said. “I think this could be the one.”
Edith lifted a wool blanket and uncovered a tangle of skates. “How many are there?”
“Enough for everyone to have a spin around the pond,” Mr. McTaggart said, “except Mrs. Mason’s husband, of course.”
Mrs. Mason—Pearl—was another of Lady Thorne’s once lost sisters. Approximately a year earlier, Pearl answered an advertisement to become Mr. Mason’s nurse. The landowner lost his leg in a farming accident and had required a caretaker. During his long convalescence, Pearl and Mr. Mason fell in love. Recently, they were married.
“Pearl’s husband has been fitted with a prosthetic leg,” Edith said, “but I agree skating is an unlikely activity for him. Perhaps I should speak with Gracie about choosing something everyone can enjoy.”
“A chair will do for the lad.” Mr. McTaggart took out a skate and ran his finger gingerly over the blade. “The men can take turns pushing him about, so he willna have ta miss out on the festivities.”
Edith dropped the folded blanket on her lap and smiled. “I think I have been too harsh with you, Mr. McTaggart. You are much more considerate than first impressions suggest.”
His wide grin made her heart skip. “You mean for a blasted Scottish oaf?” He dropped the skate back in the trunk and retrieved the blanket from her lap. “You have a stray eyelash. Let me get it for you.” Leaning close, he brushed the back of his finger across her cheek. Her breath froze in her lungs. If he tried to kiss her again, she didn’t have the willpower to resist.
“Yer a decent sort for a Sassenach, too,” he murmured. “No’ ta mention verra bonnie.”
Bonnie?
The air whooshed from her.His compliment was like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head. Edith was far from pretty. Men rarely paid her notice. Her silver hair and spectacles had become like a cloak, lending her invisibility and security at the brothel. She’d never been one of the women to draw in customers, which was the reason Madam Montgomery had allowed her to hide in the kitchen.
She hopped up from the floor. “I should go. As you said, Lady Thorne is likely wondering where I am.” Hurrying for the door, she didn’t look back. It didn’t matter what he thought of her abrupt departure. She’d not risk her livelihood listening to false flattery, not again.
Once upon a time, she had lived an honorable life and thrown it all away for a few sweetly whispered odes to her beauty. As a result, she had lost her seamstress position and been evicted from the boarding house. She was older and wiser now, and she’d not lose her position with Lady Thorne by listening to Mr. McTaggart’s lies.
Three
As Fergus was haulingthe trunk of skates to the storeroom in the servants’ quarters, he met his sister and a female cousin in the corridor.
“Dare I ask what’s in the trunk?” Ismay asked with a toss of her chestnut locks. “Everyone knows you hied off with that harpy Edith Gallagher this afternoon.”
Fergus glowered when she and Leana giggled. He didn’t know if he was more upset with the insult to his integrity or his sister calling Mistress Gallagher a harpy. The woman could kick up a fuss for certain, but she didn’t holler just to hear her voice. He did take risks with Miss Gracie—at least it would seem that way to a Sassenach—but the little lassie was never in any danger. Mistress Gallagher cared for the girl and hadn’t yet realized he did too.
“If yer suggesting I have Mistress Gallagher in here,” he said as he scooted past his kin and disappeared into the storeroom, “you’ve a wicked streak, lass. You should seek out the minister’s counsel and beg him ta pray for you.”
